Class 78
by VorpalQ
Summary: An AU situation, where sixteen different teenagers were selected for Hope Peak's 78th Class - the same talents as the original sixteen, but with very different people with the titles, and a different group of victims, a different group of murderers... and a different mastermind, of course. (Co-written, by both VorpalQ and know-your-paradoxes.)
1. 01 - First Meetings

Hope's Peak Academy.

It was a name known all across Japan - maybe even across the world. The top-tier school, the school where only the very best were accepted, the school that guaranteed the futures of its students and gave everyone hope to the world. If you did something as easy as graduate from this prestigious school, you'd be set for life automatically. Most of Japan's finest were all graduates, and they were just some of the many people and organisations churning out impossible amounts of money to fund the place.

It was intimidating, standing in front of it. Large. Tall. Dominating. It took up the section in Tokyo and made itself king, and the other buildings bowed around it, like they felt ashamed to be anywhere near this goliath of a school. It didn't even look like a school, more like some kind of facility for the government - which, Yotsuba guessed, it kind of was.

Yotsuba Koyamada had never been more excited or nervous in her entire life. Her hands shook, her eyes were wide, and she felt a small pang of sympathy for the buildings around her, the ones dwarfed by the school. Like them, she wasn't special or extraordinary. Everyone else was attending this school because of their talents and accomplishments. She, however, was attending thanks to her luck - and so they had called her the Super High School Level Luckster.

Being the Super High School Level Luckster was basically the equivalent of walking into a store and saying "I've touched money once so that qualifies me as being a cashier." It just didn't happen. She had always been a bit nervous, but now that she was attending this place that nervousness was being pushed all the way to eleven. Yotsuba didn't have a particularly special talent other than the fact that she was kind of lucky at times. It made her feel down to be known as the girl with no talent.

She had been researching her classmates since she had received the letter. The letter that changed her life. It had said that she had been applied at Hope's Peak, all because she won some lottery. That news had taken her away from her small world, and into the grandiose, impossibly amazing world of Hope's Peak Academy.

Her classmates were all brilliant - all of them. Their talents were diverse and useful, and they already had dozens of followers on the Internet. Bike Gang Leader, Wrestler, Hall Monitor, Programmer… all of these talents were so incredible, and the people who had them already had amassed a huge cult following amongst many people across Japan. Yotsuba had scanned chatroom after chatroom, looking for someone commenting and praising her, but apart from a few comments about her talent seeming 'strange', there wasn't much on her. Yotsuba didn't really know what she had expected from looking through it all, but she wasn't surprised to hear that she'd been overlooked.

She looked up at the building, the black-and-white insignia burning into her brain. Half-heartedly, she tried to smile. Maybe, in this tall and terrifying building, she'd find a true calling of some kind. Some kind of true talent that she could call her own.

Yeah - she wouldn't be a luckster for her entire life. She'd find something special, unique to her and just her, and that's what she'd become. Not someone with a random and weird talent like luck.

Her smile genuine now, Yotsuba took that first step forward, to her new life at Hope's Peak Academy.

That one step was all it took to know that she was getting into something far more dangerous than she had ever imagined it to be.

* * *

When Yotsuba woke up, she was alone.

Alone and _cold_. She shivered and hugged herself - despite the green sweater she was wearing, it was far too cold in… wherever this was. Yotsuba shuddered and adjusted the glasses on her face, and looked around at her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was.

"I was just…" She had just been outside. How had she ended up _here_?

A classroom, empty and poorly lit. There was desks lined up in rows, a teacher's desk at the front of the room, an ordinary blackboard with chalk. On it was written some kind of message - WELCOME!

Yotsuba didn't find it so welcoming.

But the strangest thing was, on the windows, were steel plates, bolted shut tightly. They were so _strange_ compared to the rest of the room - where the room at least looked somewhat normal, just an ordinary classroom, these looked… scary. Odd and strange and different, and above all else, they looked scary. Intimidating. Threatening.

Why had someone gone to the effort of attaching these to the windows? What was so important about locking the windows up?

Yotsuba tapped against one hesitantly. It was cold to touch, and solid too. It definitely was some kind of metal, and that meant that Yotsuba, no matter how hard she struggled, would never be able to get those tightened bolts off. These plates would have to stay on.

And then Yotsuba noticed something. On the desk in the middle of the room, where she had woken up, was a note drawn crudely in crayon. The message was in bright orange crayon, next to a clumsy drawing of some kind of black-and-white bear.

"Meet up at the gym at 8: 00! Don't be late!"

Yotsuba frowned, and looked at the clock on the wall. Her eyes bulged when she saw what the time was.

"Aaaaaah! It's five past eight! Oh man oh man oh man, I'm late!"

Before she could even think, Yotsuba had burst from the door and was running down the hallways, her feet pounding on the floor. The hallways were stained bright colours for some reason, but Yotsuba ignored that, heading for the gym, her eyes wide and breath panting.

They were just in front - the great double doors to the gym - Yotsuba could see them - she reached out to open them -

"Oof!"

And smashed into another girl, leaving them both lying on the floor in pain.

Yotsuba groaned. The doors were open, and the girl was lying in the doorway, rubbing her head. Everything looked so blurry; Yotsuba looked around, but she couldn't find her glasses anywhere. They must have gotten dislodged in the crash and ended up on the floor.

But then Yotsuba realised what had just happened, and a blush flared up in her cheeks. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry about that!"

The girl was still rubbing her head, but she laughed a little and stood up. She was nearly a head taller than Yotsuba, and her long hair was dark blue, although those were the only details Yotsuba could make out.

"Here," the girl said, smiling. Her voice was very melodic, and she handed over something black in her hands - Yotsuba's glasses. "It's no problem! Accidents happen." The girl smiled, and Yotsuba put her glasses back on carefully after making sure they weren't damaged.

The girl's face was very beautiful, but her eyes were dull grey and didn't stand out very well. She wore a white dress shirt and a navy blue skirt, and now that Yotsuba could see her completely, it was obvious that this girl carried herself in a very elegant way, accentuating her natural beauty.

"I'm Yuuka Aokawa," the girl - Yuuka - said with a beautiful smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yotsuba Koyamada, nice to meet you too!" she extended a hand before realizing who Yuuka actually was.

"OH MY GOSH!" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping. "YOU'RE YUUKA AOKAWA!" She shook her hand excitedly, her eyes ablaze with happiness. "I absolutely LOVE your music! 4EVER is such a good group!"

Yes, it was unmistakable - this girl, Yuuka Aokawa, was the Super High School Level Idol. Yotsuba had listened to her music often - who hadn't? Yuuka had topped the charts over and over again with her incredible voice and amazing choreography, and she was the lead singer of her idol group 4EVER, one of the most popular in the idol industry to date. The fact that Yotsuba was standing right next to her and shaking her hand was already a miracle.

Yuuka broke into a huge smile. "I'm always happy to meet a fan!" She sounded incredibly enthusiastic, just like her stage persona. "Yeah, it's true. I'm the Super High School Level Idol - it's wonderful that you're so enthusiastic about my music!"

Yotsuba smiled, and then noticed the pairs of eyes staring at her. Fifteen other students were staring at the two, and Yotsuba felt her blush starting to return. "Ah…"

A student on the other side of the room - a boy, slouching, with shaved black hair and dark eyes - snorted and shoved a hand in his pocket. "If you two are so friendly already, why don'tcha fuckin' marry each other then?" He gave a cocky smirk, and then seemed to notice how much Yotsuba was blushing and smirked even harder. "Who the hell're you, anyway?"

Yotsuba realised she still hadn't introduced herself. There were so many people in here… all of them staring at her! She adjusted her glasses and tried not to look too embarrassed, and fidgeted with her sweater sleeves, trying to work up the courage to introduce herself.

After a few seconds of stammering, she got the words out. "Uh, Yotsuba. Yotsuba Koyamada. I, uh, I'm the Super High School Level Luckster! It's really nice to meet all of you!" She did a clumsy bow, and tried not to look too much like an idiot.

The boy in the back snorted. "Luckster? Like that's a talent."

"Oh! I've heard of you!" Yuuka smiled at Yotsuba, and Yotsuba felt her heart skip a tiny beat. Yuuka Aokawa, the girl famous across all of Japan, knew who _she_ was? Simple Yotsuba, a girl just from Hokkaido, a girl who couldn't do anything? Yuuka Aokawa… _knew_ her?

"The girl with such incredible luck that she's won lotteries all over the world… it is _wonderful_ to meet you!" Yuuka smiled, and Yotsuba smiled back, amazed by the sheer power of this girl's radiant smile.

There was a bit of murmuring amongst the students, and they all whispered amongst each other. Yuuka stayed silent, but Yotsuba felt everyone looking at her, staring. Oh God… they were right, luck wasn't a real talent, what the hell was she doing here?

But one voice silenced them all.

"A luckster, huh? Sounds good to me!"

A girl in the centre of the room had spoken up. She wore a white baseball uniform and a white cap, and a dark ponytail fell to her waist. In one hand, she carried a huge baseball bat, while the other was held out with a thumbs up. "Nice to meetcha, Yotsuba! Super High School Level Baseball Star Tomoyo Hanaoka, at your service! Yotsuba, huh? That's a cool name."

Yotsuba smiled; it was difficult not to, when matched with this girl and her unabashed enthusiasm. "Thanks. It means four-leaf clover… like my hair clip." She gestured to the four-leaf clover tying back her mousy brown bangs. "Uh… baseball star?"

Tomoyo had already walked over to her, and had slung the bat over her shoulder. "Yep! I love baseball." She smiled again, and then her bright green eyes lit up. "Oh! And him, over there?" She pointed at a gigantic muscular guy standing at the edges of the group; he was at least six feet tall, huge and muscular, and he looked straight at Yotsuba with expressionless eyes.

"Say hello to Atsutane Zayasu, the Super High School Level Wrestler!" Tomoyo said, beaming from ear to ear. "He's _super_ strong and tough - he's won three hundred and seven wrestling matches in his life! He's been all over the world, too - Turkey, Australia, the US even! He's amazing!"

Atsutane looked somewhat embarrassed to be given such praise, and… was he blushing? "Nice to meet you," he said, and his voice was somewhat higher than Yotsuba expected. Then he turned away, and Tomoyo looked at Yotsuba with another bright look.

"Cool, huh? We have such awesome classmates! This is gonna be so much fun!" Tomoyo turned around, narrowly avoiding whacking Yotsuba in the head with the bat. She pointed at another boy - a thin-looking boy with glasses and dark purple hair, looking somewhat serious with a grave and solemn face.

"My other friend, Mutsuo Ishiguro," Tomoyo announced, although her voice was much quieter and softer now for some reason. "Y'know - the Super High School Level Soldier."

Yotsuba's eyes widened. A Super High School Level Soldier? She'd heard rumours online about there being one, but seeing him in the flesh… although Mutsuo looked somewhat normal, Yotsuba realised she was terrified of what he would do if startled or angry.

"Yep," Tomoyo said, nodding seriously. "He's been on heaps of missions around the world. He's even lead some of them. He's even headed mercenary groups. You shouldn't mess with him. Say hello, Mutsuo."

"Hello," Mutsuo said, in a monotone voice. Then he turned away, and that was the end of the conversation.

Tomoyo shrugged, and patted Yotsuba on the back. "Well, nice meeting you! Gotta go now, but have fun meeting the others - I don't know 'em as well, but they seem alright!"

Yotsuba nodded and stepped back, smiling. "Thanks, Tomoyo. That's very helpful, thank you."

"No problem! Need anything at any time, Tomoyo's the one you go to!" And with a smile, the girl walked off, heading to talk to Mutsuo, who was still as stoic as ever.

Yotsuba saw them go, and smiled a little bit, before someone clearing her throat behind her caught her attention. Turning around, Yotsuba found herself facing a very tall girl, wearing a very traditional high school uniform and glaring at Yotsuba with the force of a million daggers.

"Yotsuba Koyamada," the girl said. Her voice was sharp, and radiated with authority. "Why were you late to the meeting? Give your reasons, and say them clearly. It was very rude of you to show up to our meeting five minutes late."

Yotsuba frowned. "Uh, I woke up a little late… sorry about that! I promise it won't happen again."

The girl sighed. "I suppose I'll let you off with a warning this time. Satsuki Agatsuma. It's a pleasure to meet you." She extended a hand, and when Yotsuba grabbed it, she was met with the firmest handshake she had ever received in her entire life. It was as though Satsuki was holding onto her hand for dear life, like she would be smited by the almighty gods above if she didn't put 110% into that handshake. Yotsuba even let out a sigh of relief once Satsuki let go.

Yotsuba clutched at her arm, while Satsuki continued introducing herself. "My title is the Super High School Level Hall Monitor. It _would_ be Student Council President, but… well, I'm perfectly fine being an ordinary hall monitor, for now."

Yotsuba nodded. With the way this girl carried herself, and the way she was dressed, there was no doubt that Satsuki was an impossibly strict hall monitor - she seemed like just the type.

"Nice to meet you!" Yotsuba said, bowing again. Satsuki nodded and looked away, and Yotsuba decided to back away and look at the people who now seemed perfectly fine with ignoring her, and talking amongst themselves.

There was one guy she hadn't met who seemed fine staying silent - the hostile boy who had been condescending to her earlier. He was leaning against a post looking incredibly bored; taking a deep breath, Yotsuba decided to walk up to him, trying her best to smile.

Luckily, he started the conversation.

"Damn, thought you were gonna get your ass handed to ya. Poor kid. For someone who's apparently super lucky, you've had a shit day, huh?" He looked almost worried, which was both calming and somewhat disturbing to Yotsuba.

She adjusted her glasses once more before nodding. Having this tall boy be concerned for her was… surprisingly comforting. "Y-Yeah, it's been kinda rough. I mean, considering that I woke up in some dark classroom, I was late for this meeting, I almost knocked Yuuka Aokawa out walking through the door, and now I almost got into a fight with the Super High School Level Hall Monitor." She let out a nervous laugh and the boy gave a smile in return.

"Well, I'm sorry for yellin' at ya, kid. Name's Sukehiro Nakano, the Super High School Level Biker Gang Leader. Suke works fine, though. Nice to meet ya." He extended a closed fist, and Yotsuba nervously met it with her own.

Yotsuba smiled. For someone who was a Biker Gang Leader, Sukehiro seemed incredibly nice. "Nice to meet you too. Uh, apology accepted! Maybe we can be friends after this?"

Sukehiro simply let out a grunt. "Well, maybe. I don't really know. If you're thinkin' anything else, though, you're barkin' up the wrong tree. Don't get any ideas, little lady."

A blush began to fill Yotsuba's cheeks. "N-No no no! Why would I ever think something like that? I know that you've been openly-"

"Learn to take a joke, greenie," he replied, the right side of his smile turned upward, creating a lopsided grin. Yotsuba was blushing even harder, which just made Sukehiro even more entertained. "Ah, you're alright. Don't take anythin' I say seriously, okay?"

Yotsuba smiled and nodded, but her cheeks were still red. "Uh, okay. I still gotta go meet the others, so if you'll just excuse me…"

"Don't forget me, alright?" Sukehiro asked, saluting her off.

Yotsuba giggled a little and did a salute of her own, walking away and heading towards someone else - a tall blond boy who looked somewhat nervous to be here. Yotsuba barely avoided stepping on his shoes.

"Ah! Sorry!"

The boy held his hands up, smiling while stepping away. "It's okay. I understand, trust me."

He certainly dressed very well, Yotsuba could see that; a white dress shirt, a green and grey vest, and on his wrists were an olive green wristwatch and silver chain bracelets. He obviously had a lot of money, and knew how to spend it.

The boy smiled. "We're all fairly dazed, I think. Uh, Kisho. Kisho Kurosawa, that is. I'm the Super High School Level Heir. It's, ah, nice to meet you."

Yotsuba smiled and gave a nod in his direction to greet him as well. "I've heard of your family. You're all very into the stock market, right?"

He let out a little laugh. "Well, I suppose you could say that. Really, I'm the biggest trader and stock holder in the family, but yes, we're all pretty acquainted with the business. I suppose the Super High School Level Heir title means that I should know almost everything there is to know about the family business."

"Not necessarily, but it's really cool that you do! I bet it must be really hard to keep up with all those numbers and stuff!"

He shrugged. "You manage after a while." He then looked behind him, where a girl was waving and smiling at Yotsuba. "I believe someone else wants your attention."

Yotsuba turned around. Standing off the edge to the group of people was another girl - tall, beautiful, wearing a purple sweater with a rib cage design on it. Her shoes added a full six inches to her height, and her long brown hair was styled beautifully, and tapered off into a light sea green.

Yotsuba recognised her instantly. Who wouldn't recognise Motoko Akatsuka? One of Japan's most famous models, featured on magazines everywhere, who modelled her own clothing and stitched everything she wore herself. That sweater was her own creation, no doubt.

Motoko was waving, smiling brilliantly, and so Yotsuba carefully crossed the space between the two, waiting to see what the beautiful girl had to say.

"Hi! Super High School Level Fashionista, Motoko Akatsuka - at your service!" She had a very high voice, and pure enthusiasm radiated all around her. Yotsuba frowned - were all models like this?

Motoko was still going on. "I just couldn't help but notice this absolutely _gorgeous_ sweater you're wearing! Oh, and your hair is simply adorable, Yotsuba, it really is - although this ahoge could use some work." She frowned and touched that ahoge, a piece of hair sticking straight up, and Yotsuba felt a blush creep into her cheeks again. She didn't exactly like having that ahoge being brought up at all.

"But you're a luckster, right? That's _so cool_! That must be super interesting, huh? All I get to do is sew all the time - that can get old fast, let me tell you." Motoko said all this insanely fast, and the whole time was looking intensely at Yotsuba - her hair, her clothes, everything.

"It can't be all that boring! I mean, your clothes are amazing! Models across the world have advertised your clothing!"

Motoko smiled and waved her hand away. "That's not all impressive - but thank you for the compliment, Miss Koyamada~! But speaking of my clothes, I _just_ finished designing this beautiful one, green and gold, and I would love love _love_ if you could try it out for me sometime!"

Yotsuba's eyes widened. "What?" _Her_? Trying on clothes made by someone as esteemed as Motoko Akatsuka?

"Of course! I mean, green is your colour - and your figure - oh, and your hair clip! It's so perfect for this dress of mine!" Motoko's eyes were shining; she was clearly having an excellent time. Yotsuba couldn't help but smile. Motoko was just as bubbly and fun as she had been made out to be from magazine interviews and media coverage.

Motoko sighed. "I'd love to talk more about it, and about your _amazing_ talent, but I guess you should talk to everyone else. It was lovely meeting you!"

Yotsuba smiled and started walking away, waving. "Yeah! Lovely meeting you too!"

"Wow. I thought she'd never stop talking to you."

The voice came out of nowhere, and suddenly there was a tall boy with silver hair standing right beside her. Yotsuba stepped back, eyes wide - where had he come from?

The boy smirked a little and adjusted his hair. His ear piercings glinted, and his green eyes shone with a casual intelligence. This guy, whoever he was, must have been incredibly smart.

Yotsuba tried her best to smile. "Uh, well. You know her - chatty."

The boy's smirk turned into a toothy grin. "That is true, isn't it? Oh, but I'm being rude. Masayoshi Isozaki, the Super High School Level Detective. At your service." He did a low bow, looking up at her and smiling.

Yotsuba smiled. "I guess I don't need to introduce myself again."

"That would be correct," Masayoshi said, standing up straight. "You did announce yourself to everyone already. And with your name and hair clip, it was fairly obvious that your talent would have some connection to luck."

Yotsuba snorted. "You figured all that out, just from my name and appearance?"

"I AM the Super High School Level Detective. And there's nothing to it - just deductive reasoning. Then the fun starts." Masayoshi had a very infectious grin; Yotsuba ended up grinning along with him as he spoke. "Work and play intertwine sometimes, when you're a hit with the cops like me."

Another giggle forced its way out of Yotsuba's mouth, although this one seemed a bit more mechanical than the first. "Oh yes, everyone loves you, I'm very sure," she droned sarcastically. Masayoshi's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything.

Yotsuba sighed, and flicked a piece of hair away from her eyes. "Uh, I'd better go," she said. "But it was nice to meet you!"

Masayoshi's grin returned, and he did a small salute with two fingers. "Same here, Koyamada!"

Yotsuba smiled, and found herself walking into the path of someone else - a girl with her nose firmly wedged between the covers of a rather large book.

The girl had her brown hair cut short, and was constantly adjusting huge glasses with thick frames; her shirt was displaying various characters from anime on it, and she didn't seem to be noticing anything around her as she paced from one area to another, her steps quick and rapid, her eyes never moving from the page.

As she approached Yotsuba, Yotsuba heard her muttering things, over and over: "No, no, no…! This doesn't follow canon at all… and why are those hands so big!? No one in anime OR reality needs hands that big…!"

Yotsuba tapped the girl on the shoulder, and she immediately flipped out, jumping back and raising the book to her face, like she was trying to shield herself. "I wasn't reading doujinshi! I'm not lying!" she said, in a very high voice.

Yotsuba frowned, confused. "Uh… I never…" Then she remembered: wasn't one of her classmates a doujin author or something? "You must be Otoha Utegawa then, right? The Super High School Level Doujinshi Author?"

The girl - Otoha - slowly raised the book down, closing it in her hands. "Oh. Um, yeah, that's correct. And _you're_ Yotsuba Koyamada, but you already knew that."

"I've seen your artwork before! You're very talented!"

Otoha's cheeks went even redder. "Oh, it's… not _that_ special, is it? I mean, you do what you can! You know, it's a few simple lines that can make the difference between stellar and sup-bar artwork, it's really nothing to fawn over."

"But it's really incredible, though! They said online that you can copy nearly _any_ art style! And they even hired you to do work for animated movies! You've got such a wide range of skills! I'd love to be able to draw even a sliver as well as you can, trust me."

Yotsuba, of course, had never actually read a doujin before, nor had she actually read any of Otoha's artwork. But she HAD done her research, and she most definitely HAD seen those movies.

Otoha smiled, and then adjusted her glasses, sighing. "Well… even if it was in movies, it was nowhere near close to being _perfect_ \- I mean, there were a few frames that needed a once-over, and sometimes I messed up with the colouring, and -" She paused and took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just… I get passionate about this sort of stuff."

"It's okay -" Yotsuba began, but Otoha just raised a hand, closing her eyes.

"Just… let me get back to my doujinshi, okay? I'm sure you have someone else to talk to than some girl who draws steamy scenes for a living." And with that, Otoha walked away, leaving Yotsuba in stunned silence.

She turned around, and immediately saw a shy-looking boy standing near the edge of the group; he wore a white shirt and a blue vest, and looked very nervous, adjusting either his glasses, his collar, or his cuffs every few seconds.

"Oh…" The boy said as she approached. "Uh, y-you're not here because of her, a-are you? Utegawa? Is it… you don't think that my novels are… _lewd_ , like hers, do you?" His voice sounded small, incredibly frail, and Yotsuba frowned. What was he talking about?

"No, of course not! You were close, and we hadn't introduced ourselves yet!"

The boy's face lit up. "Oh. That's good! Um, er, my name, it's Naoki. Oh, uh, Kakuta. Ergh, I mean, it's Naoki Kakuta! I'm the S-super High School Level Writing Prodigy."

Yotsuba nodded. "Yeah, I've heard of you before! You have a dedicated fanbase, don't you? When I was online and looking you up, I found heaps of people who were really into your writing!"

Naoki smiled a little bit, and he adjusted his glasses. Those aqua eyes of his looked very inquisitive, like he was thinking about something as he spoke. "Y-yeah. I do everything for my fans."

Yotsuba smiled. "Oh, man - I forgot to introduce myself, ahaha! I'm Yotsuba Koyamada, the -"

"I know who you are," Naoki interjected suddenly, and then his eyes widened and he looked away in shame, a red blush creeping into his cheeks. "Sorry."

Yotsuba tried to ease the mood, and grinned now, trying to seem non-threatening. "You're right. I kinda did do it in front of everyone."

Naoki nodded. "Yeah. You're… kind of an open book, aren't you?"

Yotsuba frowned. "Wait, really? I mean… maybe, yeah, but it - I think it depends?"

Naoki looked down at the floor and spoke with a low voice. "That was meant to be a rhetorical question."

Yotsuba blinked, and then realised what had happened. "Oh. Oh, I, uh, I'm sorry about that -"

"Excuse me, Kakuta, but do you mind if I take Ms Koyamada here just for a second?"

Yotsuba turned her shoulder - she hadn't heard this guy approach at all, but now he was beside her, grinning. His head was covered in black curls that fell in front of his face, and his skin was incredibly pale. With his bright red eyes and traditionally-worn black blazer and white suit, he looked almost like some kind of vampire.

Naoki looked away, crossing his arms. "Do whatever, Okumura." He walked away without saying a word to Yotsuba, leaving her with this stranger, who was still looking down at her with that grin.

As soon as Naoki was out of earshot, the guy spoke up. "Sorry about that - Naoki Kakuta is quite infamous for being somewhat awkward to talk to. Kagami Okumura, by the way - Super High School Level Gambler. How lucky I must be, a gambler who has met the luckiest girl in Japan."

Yotsuba frowned. "Gambling? I mean… you can't depend on luck in gambling, right? There's got to be some skill involved."

Kagami snorted. "Relying on skill is just… boring. With luck, there's always that element of unpredictability. You never know what you'll get. And besides, once people figure out your strategy, it all really comes down to luck. I mean, there isn't just luck involved at all times, but there's much more of it than you'd think. So it's nice to finally have someone who can match my level here."

Yotsuba found herself blushing. She hadn't expected to be complimented so much on her… well, her rather pointless talent. "I'm not special because I'm lucky. My luck gets used winning lotteries or surprise cruises, shallow stuff like that."

"Those things aren't wastes of time. Believe me."

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. What was his game, exactly? "I see you're willing to be a consultant for my schedule," she said, smiling as she did so.

"Ah, I see it now. You're not just lucky, you're also deeply sarcastic. This might be tougher than I thought."

Yotsuba couldn't help but giggle. Despite what he was saying, there was no denying that Kagami _was_ charming. She had that feeling in her heart that Kagami was going to be one of her closest allies here.

Then she heard something. Footsteps. Someone was approaching them.

Yotsuba turned and looked, and saw a tall girl with silvery hair walking towards them, headphones on her ears. Her pale amber eyes were focused onto Kagami - it was like Yotsuba didn't exist at all for this girl.

The ghostly-looking girl approached Kagami and whispered something into his ear. Kagami heard it, nodded, and then smiled again at Yotsuba. "I'd hate to stop the welcome wagon. I'd better be going, Yotsuba - talk to Mizuki here for a bit, she's always fun to talk to."

"Uh, okay," Yotsuba said, but he was already walking away.

Yotsuba turned to face this girl - Mizuki. She must have been the infamous Mizuki Himura, the Super High School Level Programmer. She was an insanely fast programmer and a genius with coding, and she allegedly had one of the highest IQs in Japan. She watched as Mizuki pulled out her phone and started tapping away, ignoring Yotsuba completely.

Yotsuba stared at Mizuki for a few seconds, hesitating. She felt smaller in the presence of this girl; it was like she was an insect who didn't even matter. Yotsuba didn't exactly like feeling tiny.

Yotsuba cleared her throat before extending a hand to her. Mizuki looked down at Yotsuba's hand, then to her, as though she had no idea what exactly she was trying to do. Yotsuba cleared her throat again, and gave talking a try. "Uh, h-hello. I believe you're Mizuki Himura?"

"You would be correct," Mizuki answered, her voice low and stern.

"Uh, I know you don't like talking to people, but could you make an exception for me? I'd love to hear you talk about your work! Programming has always been something I wanted to learn but never got the chance to!" Yotsuba had an excited grin on her face, hoping that Mizuki would immediately begin speaking about her job.

She didn't get this response, however, instead being met with stone silence. She had expected this, deep down. "W-Well, I suppose it was nice talking to you, anyway."

"What's your name again?" Mizuki asked, her voice somehow even quieter than the first time she'd spoken.

"Yotsuba Koyamada. I'm the Super High School Level Luckster. It's nice to meet you."

Mizuki nodded, processing the information that Yotsuba had just told her. She didn't respond verbally, but she seemed content with the introduction.

Yotsuba sighed. She wasn't sure what she had expected. She turned around and walked away from the unresponsive Mizuki, and instead looked around the room. Everyone else was keeping to themselves… who hadn't she met already?

"Uh. Miss Koyamada?" A voice called out from… somewhere behind her. Yotsuba wasn't sure where. She turned around, but she couldn't see anyone at all. "I'm over here," the voice said again, a little fainter, and Yotsuba turned around again, trying to find the speaker… and then she did.

Standing in front of her was a girl wearing a long red cloak, trimmed in gold. She had stringy dark hair that hung in front of her face, and a shining necklace covered in strange occult symbols. When she saw Yotsuba, though, a bright smile was brought to her face, contrasting her rather macabre appearance.

"Hello!" the girl said. "Uh, I'm Hitomi Goto - the Super -"

"I know you!" Yotsuba's eyes were wide; it was rare that she got to meet such famous television idols up close. "The Super High School Fortune Teller! I've watched all four seasons of your show!"

Hitomi smiled, and then that smile changed, becoming somewhat arrogant instead of timid. "Really? Of course you did. I'm famous all across Japan for my influence in the various realms of the dead. It's a pleasure, my dear." When they shook hands, Hitomi broke her composure for just a second, as if she hadn't expected Yotsuba to be so enthusiastic.

"Could you read my fortune? You do that, right? Are you gonna use the tarot cards or can you do it just by touching my hand?" Yotsuba's eyes were wide, and Hitomi looked more and more flustered with every question.

"Uh… of course I can read your fortune," Hitomi said, stepping back and brushing her cloak back. Her voice became distinct and clear now, with no trace of that timid, quiet voice from earlier. "Your fortune would be child's play compared to the destinies I have read before! I would be obliged to help you, for you have praised me so. Now, if you don't mind, could -"

"Hey, I hate to break this little thing up, but _I'm_ the only one who hasn't spoken to this chick yet, and I reckon it oughta happen soon."

And suddenly, Yotsuba felt a gigantic hand being slapped onto her shoulder out of nowhere. She yelped, and looked up to see a tanned, muscular giant grinning down at her. There was noticeable stubble on his chin, and he only wore a white tank top and blue shorts. Yotsuba glanced down at his feet - they were completely bare.

"You must be a swimmer, right?" Yotsuba had heard stuff about the Super High School Level Swimmer online. A swimmer who had never lost any swimming competitions he had entered, who was shortlisted for the Japanese Olympic swim team. He certainly had the figure of a swimmer.

The boy nodded. "Hell yeah! Sota Shiota, the Super High School Level Swimmer. But you already knew all about me, right?" He flashed her an arrogant smirk, and Yotsuba felt a little bit threatened, him being this close to her.

She looked around, but Hitomi had already vanished, leaving her alone with this giant of a boy.

"What's your name again?" Sota asked her, looking confused.

Yotsuba cleared her throat. "Uh, Yotsuba Koyamada. The Super High School Level Luckster."

He snapped his fingers and nodded. "Oh yeah, I remember now! Sorry for forgetting. I have a big meet soon and I need to keep my mind focused. Pleasure, I guess."

Yotsuba nodded shakily. Who says 'I guess' like that? "I've seen you on TV. You're like a bullet in the water, it's amazing!"

Sota grinned and waved his hand dismissively. "Aw, it's nothin'. I mean, I can't help it if I'm just too good!" He laughed a bit, like he had told a joke, and Yotsuba awkwardly smiled along with it.

Sota opened his mouth to say something else, but someone else cut him off. Masayoshi, clearing his throat, had arrived beside Yotsuba, and he looked at her with those bright eyes. "I reckon you've met everyone, right, Koyamada?"

Yotsuba nodded. She hoped that Masayoshi could get her out of this awkward situation - she didn't want this guy to be talking to her about how great he was for any longer than necessary.

Masayoshi opened his mouth to speak again, but he was cut off by a blaring of static. It was playing on the sound system and made everyone step back and cover their ears - it was so _loud_ …

And then, the voice recording played. The voice recording that boomed through the whole gymnasium, that made Yotsuba's eyes widen in horror. That voice… it just sounded _wrong_.

"Looks like it's time, kiddos! Ready or not, here we go! Upupupupupupupupu!"

And after that, in a single instant, everyone's lives were changed forever.


	2. 02 - Rules of the Game

The gym was completely silent. No one spoke. No one moved. Everyone just looked around in terror, frozen in fear.

That voice… where had it come from?

Yotsuba shivered. The voice that had spoken… it didn't sound nice or pleasant at all. It was high-pitched, and… mocking. Like it was taunting all of them, laughing at their confusion and distress.

Sota was the first to speak up, voice booming around the hall. "The fuck? Who the hell said that?"

"It wasn't any of us!" Motoko cried, looking around the room with wide, fearful eyes. "Was… was it the person who brought us here?"

"That's a reasonable conclusion," Kisho said, like he was trying to calm her down.

Yotsuba frowned. This was all so stressful… just what in the world was going on in this school?

"You guys shouldn't worry!" There was Yuuka, her voice bright and clear, making everyone stop. "I'm sure there's an explanation to this. Hope's Peak must have a very strange initiation!" She smiled, and the tension in the room eased just a little bit, just enough to make everyone stop worrying for a few seconds.

But those few seconds of peace were dashed almost immediately.

"Upupupupu! Are you all stupid or something? I can hear _everything_ you guys say! And lemme tell you all this - you should be getting very, VERY worried right around now!"

And then… it got weirder.

Everyone turned to the front of the gym, where that voice was coming from. And from the top of a podium - that Yotsuba was _sure_ hadn't been there before - out came…

A teddy bear.

A grinning teddy bear, one half white, and one half black. A red eye glinted on the black side of his face, curved and jagged… and that grin looked all the more sinister, too, just by virtue of being on that black side…

"YAHOO! It's time to get this game STARTED!"

That voice… it was coming from the bear…

Yotsuba took a sharp breath, her eyes widening. A bear talking… that was… that couldn't be…

Everyone else looked just as confused, too. No one was sure what to make of this. How… exactly did this teddy bear _do_ anything? Wasn't it just some stuffed animal? And… why was it here? What did it mean by game?

Yotsuba frowned. There were too many questions, not enough answers.

Sukehiro was the first to speak up. "What the fuck is a teddy bear doin' here?"

"Oh?" The teddy bear tilted its head, its expression refusing to change. "I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma - the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy!"

 _That_ was enough to cause a vocal reaction.

"H-headmaster?" Yotsuba looked at that teddy bear - Monokuma - trying to figure out what it was trying to say. How could a stuffed animal be the headmaster of Japan's most prodigious school? It wasn't possible! None of it made any sense at all!

"You've gotta be kidding me," Masayoshi sighed, shaking his head. "There's no way something like you could be a headmaster of _anything_. I mean… you're a bear."

"No matter how you look at it, it doesn't make sense…" Tomoyo said, looking incredibly confused. "I mean…"

"What did you mean by 'game', exactly?" The question was asked by Kagami. It cut through the small murmurs and whispers that were starting to grow, and made everyone stop and wait for just a second.

The tension in the room was rising as everyone waited for the bear to answer. He put a paw to his hand and waited, like he was soaking in the atmosphere of everything, trying his best to milk out the tension for as long as he could.

"Well now… the game is very important! Because unless you win the game, you don't get to leave the school!"

 _That_ certainly caused a response from the student.

"H-huh?" Yotsuba stepped back, trying to think. They… couldn't leave? Was that what the bear meant? Was that what he was talking about?

Were they… trapped here?

"You're joking, right?" That was Tomoyo again, who was smiling awkwardly like she was trying to pass the whole thing off as a stupid joke. "I mean… like, you're just kidding, huh? I didn't expect the student council for Hope's Peak to be so funny, hahaha!" But even to Yotsuba, Tomoyo's laugh sounded awfully fake.

"W-we're not gonna be stuck here… _forever_ , right?" Naoki asked, looking genuinely terrified. He clutched at his chest and took deep breaths - it sounded like he was about to hyperventilate. "That can't happen!"

"This seems strange…" A wistful voice drifted among them. That must have been Mizuki, who was staring vacantly at Monokuma, her face blank. "Why would we be trapped here?"

"And how do we win, huh?" Sota bellowed, making everyone wince and step away from him.

But just before Monokuma could answer, Mutsuo raised a hand and waited for a response for about ten seconds, and when none came, he put it down and cleared his throat, his voice shaky but still loud.

"Wh-where're the rest of the teachers? Or the other students? And what about the real headmaster? What… what happened to them?"

Monokuma tilted his head. "Huh? Why do you care about _them_?"

"Well…" Mutsuo looked incredibly uncomfortable, being put on the spot like this, although he was trying his best to hide it. "I mean, shouldn't there be other people besides us and… you in this school? Classes seventy-six and seventy-seven… and the teachers…"

"THEY'RE NOT HERE!" Monokuma screeched, suddenly shouting, and everyone jumped back in alarm, not expecting such loud noises to come from the bear so quickly. "It's just the sixteen of you inside this building - no one else!"

"No one else?" Masayoshi asked, putting a hand to his chin.

"Then who's controlling you?" asked Yuuka.

Monokuma shook his head. "No one! I'm your everyday stuffed bear - except I'm special! No one's pulling my strings!"

"I find _that_ hard to believe," Kisho muttered under his breath.

"Hmmm… perhaps it's an enchantment?" Hitomi asked, seeming genuinely concerned about it. "Shall I perform an exorcism?"

"Are you guys ignoring what he just said?" Atsutane growled, snapping everyone back to their attention. "That business about a game. How we can't escape unless we _murder someone_."

"Exactly!" Monokuma said, laughing as he jumped up. Pure, childish enthusiasm radiated from him, which made Yotsuba want to run. Nothing should be that happy when talking about murder. "You guys can do whatever, too! Stabbing, bashing, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning, strangling - the rule is that anything goes!"

"Anything… goes?" Yotsuba found herself saying those words under her breath.

"Is that the kind of reality we're stuck in, huh?" That was Kisho again, looking incredibly disturbed. "You can't be serious. There's no way that this can be considered legal!"

"Exactly!" Motoko screamed, pointing upwards and seeming very triumphant. "There's no way that this can be tolerated by the law! The police will come and we can escape then!"

"But…" Mutsuo looked confused. "We only have the bear's word that we're actually stuck here."

"Oh, trust me - you are!" Monokuma was standing up now and had folded its arms, looking very satisfied up on that podium. "No escape, no exits - I'm sure you guys saw those windows, right? And not only that, but the front doors are sealed with the biggest vault door I could find. You kids are _never_ getting out without my permission!"

"The hell we ain't!" Sukehiro's deep and rough voice boomed through the stadium, and everyone turned to look at him. "C'mon down and face me off, you little prick!"

Monokuma snorted, which was a noise Yotsuba wasn't even sure that the bear could make. "Please. Stop trying to be the hero, you whiny twerp."

"You little shit!" Sukehiro pounded two fists together, eyes blazing with fury. "I'll come and knock the stuffin' outta ya!"

"No!" Yotsuba had screamed out, holding up her hands in an attempt to stop Sukehiro from walking forward. "Don't! You could get hurt -"

"Fuck that!" Sukehiro roared, and he pushed past Yotsuba and walked straight up to the lectern. His eyes flashed with fury and hatred, and he moved so quickly that no one could barely register it at all.

Sukehiro yelled and raised a fist, while Monokuma sat silently on the lectern, watching intently. And as Sukehiro's fist came crashing down -

He was thrown back by an invisible force, knocked off of his feet and sent flying across the gymnasium. Everyone watched, dumbstruck, as he landed on the wall and fell to the floor, groaning and wincing in pain.

"Nakano!" Kisho yelled, looking absolutely petrified.

"Someone call a doctor!" Motoko was yelling, running frantically to Sukehiro's side - at least, running as best she could in wedges. "Or an ambulance!"

"Is he hurt?" asked Yuuka, looking worried, but she didn't move at all.

Mutsuo adjusted his glasses and walked forward, his strides strong, and he reached Sukehiro's side and knelt down. Motoko looked at him with an odd look, but he didn't seem to notice her at all. He was looking at Sukehiro's body, looking for something.

"Is he -?" Hitomi began to ask, but she didn't finish. Monokuma kept on talking, cutting her off in the middle of her sentence.

"Don't worry about the bikie!" Monokuma screeched, looking incredibly sinister with his deranged grin and jagged red eye. "He's not important - what _is_ important is the game you're all gonna play!"

"A game, huh…?" Kagami asked. He adjusted his glasses, and his curiosity looked piqued. "What kind of game?"

"You're making us play a _game_!?" asked Yotsuba. Her voice sounded incredibly tiny and small in this big hall; she fought to keep the panic out of her words, but she sounded shrill and hysterical despite her best efforts.

"Yes indeed!" Monokuma said, shaking with silent laughter. "A very special and important game - of course, if you guys are up for it!"

"Ngh…" Over in the corner, Sukehiro was stirring. Mutsuo had a hand placed on his chest; Motoko was standing over the two of them, looking incredibly concerned about the whole thing.

"This sounds stupid," Sota said loudly, his blunt voice snapping everyone back to attention. "Why should we play a game with a stupid bear? Waste of freaking time, if you ask me."

"But no one asked you," Mizuki said bluntly. She didn't change expression at all when she said it, either.

"G-guys!" Tomoyo's voice shouted out, bringing everyone back to attention. Tomoyo herself was in the centre of all of them, and her eyes were full of some kind of strange passion. "Let's be reasonable! We can't start fighting amongst ourselves like this!"

"Yes, Hanaoka is right," Yuuka said, nodding. "We need to stay calm. We don't even know whether the bear is telling the truth or not."

"That's a good point," said Masayoshi, turning to Monokuma. His eyes were stern and intense now; they had changed so drastically that it was difficult to believe that they were the same eyes from before. "We can't trust any of your words, can we?"

"Oh, you bet your ass you can, buddy!" Monokuma said, and he laughed again. That laugh sent shivers up Yotsuba's back; it just felt so alien, so so _wrong_ , and it didn't even sound like a proper life. It was more like a sadistic parody of one, and Yotsuba didn't like it at all.

"Now, this game is _very_ important - and I'll only repeat myself once!" Monokuma said, gesturing wildly with a paw. "See, the winners of this game are the only ones allowed to escape the Academy! So you guys better be listening, or you'll learn how to get out!"

As soon as Monokuma said that single, terrifying, tantalising word - 'escape' - everyone perked up. They couldn't help it. That one word was a glimmer of hope for them, a small spark that could keep them in their good spirits… being locked inside the school for the rest of the school sounded too cruel, too enclosing, too trapping, for students like the Super High School Levels. They wouldn't sit inside walls for the rest of their lives - it wasn't in their nature.

Except for Yotsuba.

As soon as Monokuma said escape, she felt twinges of dread start to creep in. There was no way that such a strange creature with such a terrifying attitude could let them walk free without there being _some_ sort of cost. What's more, only the winner got to escape - what did winning even mean? And if this was a game, and not everyone could be a winner, then wouldn't backstabbing and doubt start to inevitably follow?

Monokuma spoke slowly, as if it was savouring every single drop of tension it could. It saw the hunger in everyone's eyes, and it fed on that. Each word had the impact of a bombshell, and the room was holding its breath.

Yotsuba didn't like this at all.

And so she wasn't shocked when the bear said what the game entailed. When it revealed the horrifying, real truth about 'escape', and everyone realised what kind of mess they were caught in.

"You see, the only way someone is allowed to escape is if they make their move in the game - and the one, single move anyone can make is to commit the one, true, perfect murder. Then, and only then, will they be allowed the privilege to leave the school and rejoin the outside world - to kill a single person to save themselves. If you can do that… upupupu… if you can commit the perfect murder, then you'll be allowed to leave this place behind, and return to the world you left behind! Upupupupu!"


End file.
